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Eric Zachary
Classroom Management
The first days of school as a new teacher are perhaps some of the most difficult
on-the-job training days in any profession. The only experience beginning teachers have
is from their teaching credential program where they are taught some broad educational
theory. With this limited knowledge, a teacher is hired and then thrown in on the first day
of school to figure the rest out on his or her own. The situation is growing even worse
with the current teacher shortage in California. “Increasingly, districts facing the biggest
credentials” (Noguchi, 2017, para. 4). This means that twenty-two year old college
graduates, without any experience, are being hired to teach full-time while they attend
School districts need a way to better prepare new hires for success as they begin
their careers. The target audience for this training will be newly hired teachers at Sitting
Bull Academy. The stakeholders are plentiful, and students, parents, administrators, and
co-workers will all benefit from better-equipped new teachers. Although there are many
areas that could be covered through instruction such as this, this training will focus on
by force, been a new teacher at five schools in ten years. I know from personal
experience how difficult it is to figure out the correct procedures at a new school site. I
also know how this feeling of isolation can impact the effectiveness of a new teacher.
I now have ten years of experience in the classroom, and three years at my current
school site. I understand why I was left to figure things out on my own. It wasn’t
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 3
personal; there was simply a lack of resources. However, that didn’t make it acceptable.
Furthermore, it would seem that many new teachers aren’t willing to stick around to
figure things out for themselves. In their study, the National Center for Educational
Statistics (2015) found that ten percent of new teachers quit after their first year, and that
percentage increases to seventeen percent by the fifth year (p.9). This means that nearly
one in five new teachers leave the profession within five years. Through this training, it is
my goal to provide learners with some of the basic knowledge they need to navigate
through the procedural tasks involved with being a teacher. I am hoping this will help
The greatest constraint that will be faced in the design of this instruction is lack of
time for both the learners and those who would be administering the content. The
beginning of the school year is a stressful time for all parties involved and when it comes
down to it, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to complete everything. This
project will be utilized annually, just prior to the start of the new school year. This
learning module will be implemented and evaluated quickly over the course of just a
couple of weeks.
Analysis
Needs Assessment
Sitting Bull Academy is a pre-school through eighth grade public school in Apple
Valley, California. This school is one of the fourteen schools under the umbrella of the
Apple Valley Unified School District. Due to a greater number of retirees, as well as state
mandated class size reduction, a teacher shortage has been created. For the past four
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years, Sitting Bull Academy has hired between seven and eleven new teachers each year,
several of whom were fresh out of undergraduate programs. Other teachers also
The school district mandates a new teacher orientation prior to the start of school
and meets again periodically throughout the school year. This training focuses on district
Furthermore, as mandated by state guidelines, new teachers are assigned a mentor teacher
who supports them through their induction program. This mentor is a veteran teacher who
visits once a week for approximately one hour. The aforementioned resources describe
parent company (the district office) that oversees several smaller subsidiaries (school
sites). Each school site operates independently, however, this operation is done with
enforced mandates from the district office. Due to this independence, each school within
a district operates differently. Each school’s uniqueness creates a challenge for new
To identify the major areas that needed to be addressed, three focus groups were
created. The first group was made up of three of the school’s administrators. The second
group included several of the beginning teachers. The third group was composed of other
more senior teachers who work directly with the new hires. The newly hired teachers
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were asked, “What do you wish you had known prior to the first day of school?” The
question posed to the more senior teachers was, “Based on your experience, what gaps
typically exist between what beginning teachers usually do and what they should do to
achieve quicker success?” To the administrators, I asked two questions, “What areas do
beginning teachers typically struggle with the most?” The second question was, “What
types of trainings do you wish you were able to conduct with beginning teachers, but do
not have the time or resources to do?” To allow for the information to be organized
efficiently, respondents were asked to submit their responses on sticky notes. A photo of
When the information was analyzed, these three groups identified many areas of
need. In fact, there were far more needs than time available to satisfy them all. Three
distinct categories were formed. All three groups of respondents listed needs in each area.
The first category involved interaction with students and parents. The second category
focused on needs that existed outside of the classroom that involved the greater school
When analyzing the responses from the administrators, many of their responses
fell into subcategories that focused more on managerial issues. In the area of student and
developing a classroom discipline plan, as well as how and when to write a referral. The
category of school site is where the administrators contributed the most input. The
well as instruction on which staff member should sought out for different needs. (J.
a need for instruction in safety measures regarding fire, earthquake, bomb threat, and
The beginning teachers expressed some of the same needs as the administrators,
however, many of their suggestions were focused on areas that related more to the
classroom. Under the subject of student and parent interactions, the respondents indicated
that training in basic classroom management procedures would be beneficial. (J. Webb
personal communication, September 6, 2017) They also indicated that they would benefit
from training to prepare them for interactions with parents at Back to School Night and
2017) The new hires didn’t express a need for training on school site matters. By far
respondents showed the greatest desire for training in the area of technology.
Interestingly, the more senior teachers’ responses were an aggregate of the other
two groups. Like the new hires, the senior teachers felt that direction involving classroom
2017) This group of respondents also put emphasis on the area of parent interaction. They
felt that training new teachers on the expectations for Back to School Night and parent
teacher conferences was important. The respondents also felt that training on when and
how to handle parent contact was important. (N. Gaines personal communication,
September 6, 2017)
Due to teacher contract constraints, teachers are only given two on campus
workdays prior to the start of the school year. Administrators are permitted to use one of
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 7
the two workdays to hold meetings, which could include training, but the remaining day
is required to be set aside for classroom preparation. (Apple Valley Unified Teachers’
Association [AVUTA, 2017]) In most cases, the administrators use the allowed meeting
day for delivering whole staff information. Because of this, conducting an on-campus, in-
Due to the time constraints, as well as the limited human resources available to
learning would be the most logical way to design the instruction. Although administrators
and other teachers aren’t available to deliver the full training module, it would be foolish
not to have them available to answer questions or clarify concepts when issues arise.
an overall feeling of isolation. The learning module will focus on providing beginning
Learner Analysis
The results of the learner analysis varied. There are several new teachers just out
of college, there are also a few teachers who have been teaching for some time and just
transferred from another school or district. It was found that several of the new teachers
were relatively young, early to mid-twenties. A few of the learners stated that they had
previously worked as substitute teachers. Several of the learners had completed sixteen
weeks of student teaching. Two of the beginning teachers are working under an
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internship credential and are presently working through their teaching credential
program.
I used a few different methods to complete the learner analysis. First, I included
them in my needs assessment and encouraged them to provide personal insight into their
unofficial mentor role and worked with several of the beginning teachers. Lastly, through
their own gaps, and their expressed desire to bridge them. Piskurich (2015) tells us that
asynchronous e-learning relies heavily on self-direction and that learners need to have the
motivation to navigate themselves through a training module. These learners possess the
asynchronous e-learning. These teachers want to do well, and they are willing to put in
Context Analysis
grade public school in Apple Valley, California. This school is one of the fourteen
schools under the umbrella of the Apple Valley Unified School District. The school has
approximately seventy full-time teachers on staff and four administrators. All teachers are
contracted to work the same duty day beginning at 7:40 am and concluding at 2:54 pm.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 9
Many teachers on staff are typically at the school site longer than the contracted duty day,
however, this is either unpaid personal time or to perform an extra duty paid position.
The school district has built a reliable computer network that is capable of
one desktop computer that is connected to the Internet. The school-site has teacher
classrooms where learners can work independently, and there are also facilities for group
meetings.
There are two major constraints when it comes to designing this training. Time is
the biggest issue. As stated previously, the training needs to be administered just before
the beginning of the school year. During this time, all parties involved have many extra
responsibilities that prevent them from spending time delivering training or providing
feedback.
The second constraint is the inconsistency in the hiring of new teachers. In public
student enrollment is constantly fluctuating. Because of this, new teachers are hired at
different times in the spring and summer depending on the projected student enrollment
of a school. Furthermore, in most school years, the actual student count is not truly
known until after the first student day. This leads the school district to allocate new
These constraints would make it difficult for face-to-face instruction. The time
constraints limit the availability of qualified instructors, and the inconsistency of the
arrival of new hires require a more packaged approach to training. Furthermore, there are
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 10
a limited number of new learners each year. As was stated previously, the training would
need to take place on an annual basis for approximately seven to twelve teachers.
Based on all of the gathered information through the needs assessment, learner
would be the most feasible delivery method. Although there are many benefits from a
face-to-face training, due to the aforementioned constraints, it would not be the best fit
for this situation. However, the on-campus staff’s years of experience should not be taken
for granted. It is imperative that a few willing teachers or administrators are in place for
Content Analysis
The needs assessment showed many gaps that are routinely shown between what
a beginning teacher knows and what they need to know to be successful. The path to
becoming a highly skilled, knowledgeable teacher is a long one, that will, quite literally,
take years. All that a new teacher needs to know to be successful cannot possibly be
squeezed into an hour-long training module. Because of this, the portion of the training
that will be discussed in the context of this paper will involve an in depth look into
classroom management. Based on the research gathered for the development of this
To analyze the content for the module, I consulted with our dean of students who
is in charge of discipline and school safety. We discussed the most crucial concepts that
scholarly articles and other books on the topic of classroom management, and school
Due to the variety of educational backgrounds of our learners, the training module
must be designed assuming the learners have no prior knowledge or experience. The
training content will focus on six areas of classroom management as discussed by Dicke,
Elling, Leutner and Schmeck, “(1) classroom organization, (2) rules and procedures, (3)
the importance of the beginning of the school year, (4) problematic behavior, (5)
Learners will show mastery for the learning modules when (a) they can identify
practices, and (b) successfully implement said plans into their own classrooms.
Design
Learning Objectives
Terminal Objective: Before the first day of school, using the knowledge learned
from the training, beginning teachers will develop a classroom management plan
Enabling Objective: (Terminal objective for this chunk of the module): Given
and explain the positive and negative attributes of the classroom design based on
Enabling Objective: (Terminal objective for this chunk of the module): Using a
checklist, beginning teachers will be able to identify rules and procedures that
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 12
Enabling Objective: (Terminal objective for this chunk of the module): From
memory, beginning teachers will be able to list and describe the six classroom
management tasks that must be completed during the first day of school. As
able to identify the reasoning for standing at the door and greeting students
able to identify the basis for assigning each student a seat and creating a
able to identify the basis for beginning each class with an assignment with
90% accuracy.
able to identify the basis for immediately setting rules, consequences and
able to identify the basis for stating and rehearsing procedures until they
Enabling Objective: (Terminal objective for this chunk of the module): Given a
appropriate response and explain their reasoning based on the factors discussed in
the training.
Enabling Objective: (Terminal objective for this chunk of the module): Given a
identify effective strategies with 90% accuracy. As was described in Faye and
Funk (1995)
Enabling Objective: (Terminal objective for this chunk of the module): Given a
classroom behavior scenario, beginning teachers will be able to choose the correct
method of parent contact and justify their reasoning based on the information
Test Instruments
unit member’s assignment by his or her evaluator at least two (2) times during the school
year” (2017). During this time, administrators will evaluate the beginning teachers on
Keeping in mind that time is one of the biggest constraints involving this training.
The administrators do not have the human resources available to deliver this material.
This constraint was the driving force behind the decision to create an asynchronous
learning platform. In considering this constraint, it was also determined that there
behaviors. Because of this, during the training, assessments will be imbedded into the
modules and will provide pre-written feedback based on correct or incorrect responses.
Based on the context and learner analyses and the objectives for this program, it
has been determined that the instruction will be delivered through an asynchronous e-
learning platform. Realizing that two of the constraints faced in developing this training
are lack of human resources to deliver the training at the needed time, and inconsistency
in the arrival of the newly hired teachers. Although this may not be the perfect delivery
system, it is the most ideal to accommodate for the constraints. The ability to have the
learners begin their modules at varying times, complete the modules at their own pace,
To deliver the instruction, the training will employ a series of topical videos that
provide instruction for each module of the training. The videos will be a compilation of
text and audio narration. Within the videos, short informal assessments will be embedded
Although, there would be certain benefits that would come from completing a
variety of reasons. This is a training that can be used annually, and although the upfront
cost may be more than a traditional training, the additional cost can be expensed out over
multiple years. Not all learners are available at the same time, making the delivery
method appropriate. There is a lack of available trainers. Lastly, the beginning teachers
actively participate. With all of these factors considered, this delivery method is the most
feasible option.
an e-learning platform, the questioning in the training will be written applying multiple
levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Adams, 2015, p. 153). Furthermore, the active learning
principle will be implemented to provide the learning with both audio and video stimulus.
The overall design process lends itself to the ADDIE model (Reiser and Dempsey, 2017,
p. 24) in which the training is designed based on the identified needs of the organization.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 16
Deliverables include:
Introduction
o Quiz questions for the short quiz at the end of the module
o Quiz questions for the short quiz at the end of the module
o Quiz questions for the short quiz at the end of the module
o Quiz questions for the short quiz at the end of the module
o Quiz questions for the short quiz at the end of the module
Development Plan
Timeline:
4. Instructional video development six hours per video at $40.00 per hour.
thirty days.
5. Test question and quiz development one hour per module at $40.00 per
fourteen days.
6. Activity development one hour per module at $40.00 per hour. Four total
8. User testing five users one hour per user at $34.00 per hour for a total cost
9. Final revisions two hours at $80.00 per hour for a total cost of $160.00. To
Implementation Plan
feedback for correct and incorrect answers. One of the school administrators needs to be
trained to operate the learning management system (LMS) and add learners as necessary.
Based on the fact that the training will only be used once a year, a job aid would be
effective for providing the LMS training for the administrator. Once the training has been
through user testing, and any operational issues have been resolved, the training should
be fairly self-sufficient.
Evaluation
Formative Evaluation
To best determine whether the course is complete, accurate, and effective, the
results of the short quizzes at the end of each module will be evaluated. The quiz
questions have been developed to test the trainee’s levels of retention, understanding,
application, and analysis (Adams, 2015, p. 153). As a result, the evaluation data will
reveal the amount of learning that took place. If the testing data shows learning deficits in
any area of instruction, modifications will need to made before assigning the training
Prior to implementation, a group of four veteran teachers at the school site will be
assembled for beta testing in a classroom on campus. Each teacher will use a wireless
device to complete the training. The teachers will be given a short evaluation checklist
for each module as well as a place to comment. A sample of the evaluation checklist can
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 21
be found in the appendix. These responses, from the teachers, will be evaluated and any
approval, the beta test can be completed during professional learning community time on
an early release day. The testing should not change the timeline for implementation.
Summative Evaluation
the end of the course. As was recommended by Piskurich (2015) the survey will focus on
three areas: (a) usability, (b) engagement, and (c) content. The learners will rate the said
areas of the training on a scale of one to five. The results of the survey will be evaluated
and if needed, modifications will be made for future trainings. The survey is included in
Appendix C.
Beyond the level 1 evaluation described previously, level 2 evaluations will take
place two different times throughout the school year. As per the AVUTA (2017) contract
Through these evaluations, the administrators will be able to evaluate how well the
beginning teachers have transferred their learning to action in the classroom. Payoff and
References
Adams, N.E., (2015). Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive learning objectives. Journal of the
Apple Valley Teachers’ Association. (2017). Contract Agreement. Article 13-1. C. Apple
Elling, J., Leutner D., & Schmeck A. (2015). Reducing reality shock: The effects of
Edwards, R., Frederick B. P., & McGinnis J. C., (1995) Enhancing Classroom
32, 220-224
Fay, J., & Funk D. (1995) Teaching with Love and Logic, Taking Control of The
Noguchi, S., (2017, August 08). On first day of school, Bay Area districts still seeking
Piskurich, G. M. (2015). Rapid Instructional Design, Learning ID Fast and Right (3rd
Reiser, R. A. & Dempsey, J.V. (Eds.) (2012), Trends and Issues in Instructional Design
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics, (2015). Public School
Teacher Attrition and Mobility in the First Five Years: (NCES Publication No.
References
Wong, H. K., & Wong R. T. (1997) The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective
Appendix A
To easily gather and organize the information gathered from the participants in
the focus groups, suggestions were collected on sticky notes.
Appendix B
Question 1:
excessive talking, you rarely have behavioral issues with Tim. However, today during a
group activity, Tim jokingly threw a piece of a crayon across the room and hit another
student. When you spoke to Tim about his behavior, he got defensive and disrespectfully
Based on what you’ve learned about classroom discipline, choose the best
A: Parent phone-call
Question 2:
Evaluate the completeness of the following classroom rule using the information
C: This rule is not sufficient; it does not display the desired behavior.
Question 3:
Read the following scenario and answer the question that follows.
Mrs. Park was excited about beginning her first teaching assignment as a sixth-
grade teacher. She spent the summer researching classroom management strategies and
developed several procedures to teach to her students. The first day of school arrived and
just as planned, Mrs. Park taught her students the procedures she had developed. The
A couple of months went by and Mrs. Park found that her class was often off task,
and a lot of instructional time was being wasted on disciplining and reprimanding her
students. Mrs. Park feels that all of her time developing her classroom management plan
was wasted.
A: Mrs. Park didn’t do anything wrong: some classes are just challenging.
B: The procedures Mrs. Park developed may not have been appropriate for her grade
level.
D: Mrs. Park is a new teacher, and she needs more experience to effectively manage
her classroom.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 27
Appendix C
The questions for this formative evaluation were taken from examples presented in
Piskurich (2015)
following statements.
Usability:
Engagement:
interesting
Content
the content
learning experience